Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to participate in the following event:
ESA Information Session on the Lunar Prospecting and Scouting Rover
This virtual (on-line only) event will take place on the 9 October 2024 starting at 09:30.
Surface mobility is a key foundational building block of lunar exploration capabilities. Establishing and demonstrating the ability to deploy and operate a rover on the lunar surface is a key step that is needed to enable upcoming human missions as well as scientific investigations. This includes:
- Environment mapping and scouting
- Prospecting followed by Sampling
- Human related cargo transport
- Habitat deployment, assembly, transportation/relocation, and maintenance
See https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/HRE/Explore_2040.pdf,
and https://www.nasa.gov/moontomarsarchitecture-whitepapers/
It is anticipated that rovers will be an integral part of the end-to-end concept of surface operations for scouting/sounding the environment, sample collection and analysis, and logistics support, including collaborative robotics with crew. The ESA exploration strategy currently foresees the need for rovers in the 1000kg class (and possibly larger) in the mid-2030’s to perform logistics transport as well as planetary and exploration science missions. In order to reach this goal, an intermediate first step, in the form a smaller lunar rover demonstrator mission is considered necessary to mature critical technologies and capabilities, derisk the development of systems needed to achieve the long-term goals, and to gain valuable experience in lunar surface operations.
The main goals of the ESA Lunar Prospecting and Scouting Rover (LPSR) mission are:
· Achieving the first step in European lunar surface exploration by deploying and operating a medium class rover on the surface of the Moon
· Advancing and maturing critical technologies and reaching flight heritage to serve as foundation and building blocks for future missions targeting a larger class rover for logistics and scientific exploration
· Gaining valuable experience in lunar environment and operations
· Gaining hands-on lunar mission experience to shape and guide future missions
To achieve these goals, the implementation of the LPSR mission is planned in two phases:
· Phase 1: Fast-paced and highly iterative definition and preliminary design phase, which covers both technical and programmatic definition.
· Phase 2: Rapid implementation phase to build, launch, deploy and operate a rover on the lunar surface before 2030.
In preparation for phase 1 and in advance of issuing the ITT, ESA is organizing an industry information session to describe the context and scope of the project as well as the foreseen work logic to potential participants, solicit feedback, and answer questions.
Date: 9 October 2024
Location: Virtual (on-line) only
